Pre-trial hearing in Framingham for President's uncle over quickly

Thursday

President Barack Obama's half-uncle appeared for a brief hearing in Framingham District Court today on his drunken driving charge, but never spoke.

President Barack Obama's half-uncle appeared for a brief hearing in Framingham District Court today on his drunken driving charge, but never spoke.

Onyango Obama, 67, and his lawyers, P. Scott Bratton and William L. Harvey III, declined to speak to the assembled television and newspaper reporters after the pretrial conference.

Obama, half-brother of the president's father, was arrested on Aug. 24 after a near collision with a Framingham Police cruiser on Waverly Street and charged with drunken driving.

After his arrest, Obama told police, "I think I will call the White House" when asked if he needed to phone someone for bail.

During booking, police discovered Obama had a federal Immigration and Customs Enforcement warrant. He had been ordered deported to Kenya in 1992.

At his Framingham District Court arraignment on Aug. 25, Judge Robert Greco did not set bail on the drunken driving case, but ordered him held for Immigration and Customs Enforcement.

ICE agents took custody of him, but later released him on the condition that he check in regularly.

At yesterday's hearing, Bratton told Greco that he and prosecutor Jonathan Sahrbeck had agreed on discovery issues, and asked for a compliance and election hearing. That hearing would be to discuss any further discovery issues, and to set further hearings or a trial date.

Greco scheduled the hearing for Nov. 17.

(Norman Miller can be reached at 508-626-3823 or nmiller@wickedlocal.com.)

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